Late summer in the Deep South means intense heat and humidity coupled with the intense desire to counteract it somehow. It’s a time to head for the hills, out west, up north or get out on some big water somewhere. For adventurous types in need of some thrills and rejuvenation, here are some ideas and destinations to help spark that urge to get up off the couch and into the outdoors during the hottest time of the year.
Credit: The Art of Living Retreat Center
Credit: The Art of Living Retreat Center
North Carolina
Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, The Art of Living Retreat Center spreads out across a secluded 380-acre mountaintop campus with accommodations featuring long-range views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. As one might gather from the name, health and wellness are the focus here with activities like yoga and meditation at the forefront, and no alcohol or meat on the menu. Two-night Wellness Escapes are a signature offering of the retreat with packages designed specifically for couples, solo travelers, women, men and mother-daughter escapes. Nutritious meals are included, along with a 60-minute massage, yoga and meditation classes, cooking and creativity workshops and access to such campus amenities as the labyrinth pathway, a fitness center, steam room, nature trails and more.
The Art of Living Retreat Center. $929 and up for wellness escapes. 639 Whispering Hills Road, Boone, North Carolina. 800-392-6870, artoflivingretreatcenter.org.
Norway
Trekking is a time-honored tradition in Norway. In the winter it’s done on snow skis from cabin to cabin, but in the summertime it becomes a hiking adventure to rustic accommodations unreachable by car. The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) has been operating cabins throughout the country since its founding in 1868 and now has an online cabin booking service among other resources to help prepare first-timers for their trek. If you’d rather have someone else do all the prep work before heading out on the trail, Oslo-based travel agency Up Norway specializes in customized trips, including hut-to-hut hiking. One recommended experience is a trek among Jotunheimen National Park’s soaring peaks, alpine lakes, meadows and glacier-carved valleys while spending nights in DNT cabins where locally sourced meals are provided.
Up Norway. $3,700 and up for a 6-day trek. +47 57 11 99 88, upnorway.com.
Credit: Castle Hot Springs
Credit: Castle Hot Springs
Arizona
If you can’t beat the heat, embrace it deep in the rugged red rock hills and canyons of the Sonoran Desert. Fifty miles north of Phoenix, Castle Hot Springs is an oasis surrounded by palm trees, towering saguaro cactus and dotted with natural hot springs. Outdoor activities abound at the 1,100-acre resort, with climbing and canyoneering a specialty. A highlight is the Via Ferrata Adventure Course, Arizona’s first. A via ferrata (Italian for “iron path”) is a protected climbing route with iron rungs, steel cables and pegs embedded in the rock to assist climbers on especially difficult ascents. Two routes with different degrees of difficulty allow guests — and their guides — to summit Castle Peak and also traverse an aerial walkway 100 feet above the canyon floor. New at the resort is an intro to rock climbing session, a custom rock climbing experience for experienced climbers and the Castle Creek Canyon rappel with two 120-foot descents into the canyon.
Castle Hot Springs. $1,500 and up. 5050 N. Castle Hot Springs Road, Morristown, Arizona. 877-600-1137, www.castlehotsprings.com.
Credit: Gulf County TDC
Credit: Gulf County TDC
Florida
Late summer is scalloping season in Florida and the tasty bivalves thrive in the sea grass beds of the shallow water of St. Joseph Bay in the Panhandle. This year’s season in Gulf County, where St. Joseph Bay is located, runs from Aug. 16 through Sept. 24. Even kids who may scoff at scallops on a plate will thrill at discovering them in the sandy bottom of the bay while snorkeling with net in hand in this pristine marine environment. First-timers will want a knowledgeable local guide service like T-Man’s Charters ($350 and up, t-manscharters.com) to find the best scalloping spots. Capt. Tim supplies everything you’ll need for a rewarding day scallop hunting on the bay. Tours depart from the public boat ramp in Port St. Joe adjacent to the new contactless check-in boutique Hotel Saint Joseph ($223 and up, www.hotelsaintjoseph.com). The Florida Scallop, Music and Arts Festival takes place in Port St. Joe Aug. 30-31 (Labor Day weekend) within easy walking distance of the boat ramp and the hotel.
Gulf County Welcome Center. 150 Captain Fred’s Place, Port St. Joe, Florida. 850-229-7800, www.visitgulf.com.
Virginia
In the Ridge and Valley section of southwest Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains, Nicewonder Farm and Vineyards offers a bevy of outdoor adventures and activities such as fishing, hiking, mountain biking and target sports on its rolling farmland property. One of the bigger draws is golfing at The Virginian Golf Club, a private club and sister property of the farm accessible to guests. With the Stay and Play Golf Package, two people can play a round on the award-winning 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed course, have lunch in The Virginian Clubhouse and receive access to all practice facilities including three full-range practice holes. The pastoral setting of the 7,025-yard championship course will challenge even the most-seasoned golfers with its hilly terrain. Nicewonder guests have their choice of accommodations in either a 28-room boutique inn or the resort’s pet-friendly luxury yurts.
Nicewonder Farm and Vineyards. $787 and up, double occupancy stay and play package. 22010 Nicewonder Drive, Bristol, Virginia. 276-644-4466, www.nicewonderfarm.com.
Credit: Erin Feinblatt
Credit: Erin Feinblatt
Hawaii
Last summer, the long-standing Turtle Bay Resort, which first opened on a wind-swept peninsula of O’ahu’s North Shore in 1972, was rebranded as The Ritz-Carlton O’ahu, Turtle Bay. North Shore is a legendary spot in the annals of surfing history and the new incarnation of the resort — located a few miles away from the famed barrel rolling waves of the Banzai Pipeline and the breaks at Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay — continues to embrace that legacy along with modern surf culture. Guests of all skill levels can take private and group surf and stand-up paddle board lessons with the renowned Jamie O’Brien Surf Experience ($149 and up, 808-690-7091, www.jobsurfexperience.com). The surf school specializes in introducing beginners to the sport with expert instruction and premium equipment, including adaptive surf experiences in a gentle uncrowded environment for children with disabilities.
The Ritz-Carlton O’ahu, Turtle Bay. $815 and up. 57-091 Kamehameha Hwy., Kahuku, Hawaii. 808-293-6000, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/hnlkz-the-ritz-carlton-oahu-turtle-bay.
Georgia
At Deerlick Astronomy Village 100 miles east of Atlanta, amateur astronomers can partake in some of the best dark-sky viewing conditions found on the Eastern Seaboard. The private gated village was established in 2006 by members of the Atlanta Astronomy Club who were looking for optimal stargazing opportunities without distractions or light pollution. The houses have blackout curtains with no outside lighting allowed, and the streets are lined with tiny ground-level red LED lights for navigation. It’s a membership-only community, but the annual membership fee for camping in the primary viewing area of Grier’s Field is cheaper than staying a single night in most commercial campgrounds. This is a place for serious nighttime sky watchers, so if you’re looking to drink some beer and party while looking at the stars, head elsewhere. A few times a year, Grier’s Field opens to the public for viewing events listed on Deerlick website.
Deerlick Astronomy Village. $60 and up annual membership fee for Grier’s Field, camping $5 and up. 383 Constellation Lane, Crawfordville. deerlickgroup.com.
Texas
August may be Texas’ hottest month, but travelers can stay relatively cool underground at the Caverns of Sonora, where the temperature remains a steady 72 degrees year-round. Located in central Texas, a 2.5-hour drive from San Antonio, the caverns and its campground were unaffected by the flooding over the Fourth of July weekend. Anybody can tour the main areas of the cavern, but for a true spelunking experience the adventuresome should plan to get muddy as they crawl through tight, unlit passages wearing a hardhat and a headlamp to explore this National Natural Landmark at depths that most tourists don’t see. The 48-site campground with water and electric hookups for RVs and tent camping is only steps away from the cave entrance. While in the region, check out the other caverns on the Texas Cave Trail, but call ahead before visiting because some of the sites on the trail in the Austin, San Antonio and Hill Country area were affected by the floods.
Caverns of Sonora. $28 and up for tours, $20 and up camping. 711 Private Road, Sonora, Texas. 325-387-3105, www.cavernsofsonora.com.
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